Bohemian Rhapsody
by Zoisy
Summary: I would like to tell you a story. A story of both, witchcraft and pain, desire and obsession, love and hate.   Maybe I'm a storyteller. Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic. Either way, I needed some kind of disctraction from my dreary daily routine.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

„Gin it is, thank you."

It was already late at night when I entered the small pub at the end of the busy road. The air was stuffy and the room was filled with hot breath and the medieval smell of alcohol and sweat, so nobody seemed to recognize my arrival. I made my way through the crowded area and took a seat in the blindest angle, where nobody had the chance to sneak a peek at my skinny silhouette, which was wrapped into an ebony coloured cape. Now, sitting in front of the smirking barkeeper I felt a little misplaced, but only because it had been a very buzzing day, while the noise and smog began to make me dizzy.

"You know what a really good drop is like, huh?"

"Indeed." He shook his head in amusement, his ice-blue eyes fixed on mine.

"There are a lot of strange guys around here, but you Sir, are one of the weirdest I got to see for a while. "

"I feel very honoured." I wasn't interested in a profounder conversation for, as I may have mentioned, I felt very weary.

"You know I'm running this business for a donkey's years by now, but you Mister, are one of the most ominous faces I've seen in what seems to be a decade." I began to wonder whether this establishment would be going to survive another decade, since its owner seemed to be a true grandmaster in penetrating his guests. I had been quite relieved by catching this seat, so I was invisible for most of the customers. But it seemed like this man and his overbearing babbling was increasingly arousing their interests. He passed me my well deserved glass of gin, while he was getting on with his announcement: "Only yesterday I thought I saw a man as tall as a house, I didn't believe my eyes. This is really curious, what do you say?"

"Yes, it is." I nodded. I was glad of him starting to talk of something different than my all too uncommon appearance.

"And there were a lot of other men, wearing great, dark huts, long cloaks, like yours, Sir, and I swear I heard them speak in what seemed to be a different language at times. But the oddest thing is..." he lowered his voice, "I swear I saw some of them disappear in a split second. It's a little scary, so I decided to tell no one about it." I grinned.

"Of course not", I rejoined to him, I too had my voice lowered to a whisper by now, "one could think it's been some kind of magic."

"Well, yes. That's exactly what I was about to say. Magic..." I turned away. A strong urge was dragging me outside, but I immediately decided against, as it was just too much fun listening to this excited muggle's reports. Muggle. Had I actually pronounce it? It had been more like a memory, flashing through my mind. I never really appreciated the strict separation of wizards and humans. I didn't like this term, either. Nevertheless it seemed like I just added it to my vocabulary. Well, I have to confess I'm a little lazy currently. But I'm generously allowing myself this laziness from time to time. I needed a break, only a few days. Lying in the sun... Stop! This is silly. The company would collapse if I weren't present to handle all these complex tasks. So I kept on doing this goddamned job, kept on fulfilling my purpose. No vacations, no beach, no hula, oh how much I loved hula dance.

"...can you believe that?"

"Certainly, Sir", I just said, without minding his widening eyes. "So you've seen them, too?"

"Well, this is a secret, all right?" He nodded hastily. "You have to make me this promise; you're never going to tell anyone about it, all right?"

He crossed his heart.

"Fine." I smiled eagerly. And so my story begins.

There have been only a few persons in world's history, which staved off death successfully for more than a few years, even if lots have tried desperately to delay their personal appointment with destiny. Some of them very wise, some of them impudently lucky, some of them evil and cold. People who bring trouble upon their fellow human beings and their own souls. But they do accept it for the price of immortality, which is a cursed one. But not uncommonly their hollow like dead wrappers, for they've already sold their souls to the devil. As I said before, lots have tried; very few have made it, temporary. In the end they belonged to death, a fact that no spell in the world could ever change.

Voldemort was one of them. Oh, excuse me, he who mustn't be named. But I don't think I have to explain myself for speaking his name, which he actually created for only one purpose- for making people pronounce it in terror. Believe me; I know many creatures of his kind. You don't like to doubt my judgment, right?

So, Voldemort was one of the more critical cases, from a purely negative point of view. He was the only one I never got to categorize in one of the classes mentioned above. He was driven by a forceful yearning for might, power above both worlds, the magic and the human. And once again there were lots of people, who had the same desire, but no one was ever closer to succeed in it than him. Which gets me to the next point; I have to tell you something about souls like his- they're weak. Weak and wounded, left children with flames of revenge in their unfathomable eyes. I saw these flames in his, too, ruby red and piercing.

But there was another protagonist catching my eye, a girl. If Voldemort was ice, she must have been the fire. They were infinitely different, but so familiar souls at the same time. Strangers to the world, highly talented and impressionable. I would like to tell you a story about a witch called Bellatrix. Black or Lestrange, it doesn't matter, for she never changed her heart, loving one person- her master. They had to meet eventually and if I may say so they were destined to get together, to gather a greater circle around them.

By the way, I like playing oracle, well I like playing destiny at all. Bellatrix was the embodiment of an well-educated, lofty girl when they first met, but he made her discover her darkest spiritual abysms, which was how he took over her all the time. And they spend a lot of time together. But let's start at the very beginning. I will be going to introduce you into a world of glamour and pain, of vengefulness and thirst of power, to cut the matter short; Welcome to the world of the noble and most ancient manor of Black.


	2. The Ball

**Chapter 1**

**The Ball**

"Bellatrix, have you quite finished?"

Narcissa's high voice was piercing through the muggy evening air, which had only been pervaded by distant cricket chirping and the vivid clinking of porcelain dishes downstairs. Everything had to be absolutely perfect; there ought to be a great announcement tonight. Rudolphus Lestrange, son to the Lestrange dynasty was becoming engaged with the Black's eldest daughter. Bellatrix, an independent and visionary woman, had just finished her senior year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (year's best, as her parents didn't get retired to mention) and was now supposed to maintain the family's tradition by marrying a pure blooded man. Rudolphus Lestrange was said to be a rather silent, withdrawn person, flamingly interested in herbalism, breading quadrinominal dogs and small, green-coloured dragons. People used to laugh at his affections but he was mighty and might has the ability to wash away both, rumors and laughers.

It wasn't Bellatrix' decision to like or dislike his habits. She had to marry him and see for their pure-blooded wizard-society to live on, as she was expected to. Her inky eyes didn't reveal any of her recent agony and anger. She had decided to give herself up to fate and marry the Lestrange heir. Who was she to break with her family's tradition, to spoil their chance of the probably greatest match the Black's had ever made for their daughters?

An unnoticed tear was making its way down her cherry cheeks, while she was doing her raven hair. Curls bordered her frail-featured visage and she started to feel stained and unworthy, even if she was supposed to be the night's brightest star.

"Bellatrix, mommy is sending for you to come downstairs."

"Just a second", she replied, her voice was harsh and muffled. "I have nearly finished."

Narcissa got beside her, watching herself and her big sister in the floor-length mirror.

"You will be the most beautiful fiancé ever." Bellatrix stroked her sister's moon-glowing blonde hair.

"That's very kind of you, Cissy. But I must confess that I don't feel regal at all." She instantly regretted those rash words. Her little sister wouldn't understand her grief. Thank God, it was taking a few years, until she would be finding herself into the same, awkward situation. She would not be capable of understanding her fears, her misery, an innocent child she still was.

"But you're so lucky to marry Rudolphus. They say he was very handsome!"

"We'll see." The elder forced herself to smile.

"Could you be so kind as to let me get on with my preparations, my little nuisance?" Narcissa Black stretched out her tongue.

"Yes, your Majesty."

She smiled. How beautifully innocent her sister was. She would miss her very much. She would miss these conversations, teasing with her siblings and the thoughtful conversations with her father, whom she so highly worshipped. There would be a completely different role to play, as the new mistress of Lestrange manor.

The hall was crowded and sticky, so for her to hesitate a split second before leaving the staircase to join the society and welcome her guests. Oh how she wished one of her sisters was here to bear her company and make the ballroom look a little more cosy. But Andromeda and Narcissa were far too young to witness her elder sister's engagement party. The black-haired young lady was tonight's first lady, but she felt very uneasy meeting her future husband, she was afraid of being disappointed and most of all she was afraid of quitting her parents' house forever. She would never be a proper mistress, who was she to command a whole household on her own? Her hands slightly shook as she took the last winder.

"Ah Bellatrix." Her mother's voice did almost burst with pride as she introduced her eldest daughter to the inner circle of the magic society, "my beautiful, young lady."

She smiled shyly and looked down.

"Look how you've grown", her aunt, Walburga Black patted her pale cheek , "and what a happy event, my dear. Rudolphus is such a proud husband and a worthy new member of the Black family."

"Bella!" She hastily turned around and beheld her younger cousin Regulus, who had secretly admired her for years, and so had she, their friendship was of a rare profoundness. "You're looking gorgeous."

"Thank you." She gave him an honest smile.

"How do you feel about marrying Rudolphus before long, Bella?" he whispered in her ear, as they slowly departed from the great table.

"I don't even know him. But I'm expected to marry him, so I will bow to our family's tradition. You will be in the same situation, believe me, Reg."

"But how could you marry someone you'd never even seen?"

"You've always been an idealist, haven't you? One ought to think you were your mother's son. Sometimes I think you're just like Sirius."

"Don't mention him", he interrupted her.

"But it's true. We are supposed to sustain our pure blood society, aren't we? Oh Regulus, I wish I had another chance, another choice, but I haven't. None of us has."

"Bellatrix?"

"I gotta go."

"No, please... stay."

"Let me introduce you to your future husband- Rudolphus Lestrange."

Silence drew through the hall, while everyone stared at the young couple, looking at each other, feeling embarrassed and awkward.

"Long live the bridal pair."

A toast was drunk by bystanders. Rudolphus smiled and took her hand by getting her to a little group of young wizards, gathered around a table in the back of the room.

"Let me introduce you to some of my friends; Avery, Yaxley, Lucius Malfoy and my brother Rabastan." The latter grinned disdainfully and she bowed her head.

Even if she felt uneasy in the sight of all those strange men, she stayed and tried not to gaze at her parents, who introduced more and more guests to her party. No, not her party, it was their party. They had arranged this connection; they had chosen Rudolphus to marry her and sealed her fate. She tried to take her mind off those consuming thoughts.


End file.
